Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his frustration at the United Nations Security Council’s failure to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling for reforms that would allow the UN to better defend global peace and order. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is behavior that violates the philosophy and principles of the UN Charter… It must never be tolerated,” Kishida told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its annual meeting in New York. calling for reform of a system that gives five states, including Russia, veto power in the Security Council. “We have to face the reality that the integrity of the United Nations is at risk because of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which is a member of the UN Security Council,” Kishida said in his address to the 77th United Nations General Assembly. The reforms have been under discussion for nearly 30 years, he said. “What we need is action towards reform, not just talk.” Japan has long sought to reform the UN Security Council, saying it was designed by the victors of World War II and does not reflect the reality of international society, and since 2004 has promoted a reform plan with Germany, India and Brazil. Japan will have a seat as one of the non-permanent members of the Security Council from January. Kishida, who hails from Hiroshima, the first city ever to suffer an atomic bomb, also expressed frustration at the failure of negotiators last month to reach an agreement on the UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons — considered the cornerstone of nuclear disarmament—after Moscow blocked the final draft. He also condemned Russia’s nuclear weapons threat. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and Russian President Vladimir Putin obliquely raised the possibility of a nuclear attack shortly thereafter. Last month, a Russian diplomat told the UN that the conflict in Ukraine does not justify Russia’s use of nuclear weapons, but Moscow may decide to use its nuclear arsenal in response to a “direct attack” by NATO countries on invasion. “The threat of nuclear weapons, like what Russia did this time, let alone their use, are serious threats to the peace and security of the international community and are never acceptable,” Kishida said. On Tuesday, Moscow-appointed officials in the occupied regions of eastern Ukraine announced plans to hold referendums on whether to join Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president who is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said the votes would give the Kremlin more options in defending what he said would become Russian territory. “Trespassing on Russian territory is a crime that allows you to use all self-defense forces,” Medvedev said in a Telegram post. Russia’s nuclear doctrine allows for the use of such weapons if weapons of mass destruction are used against it or if the Russian state faces an existential threat from conventional weapons.
